The present invention relates generally to multi-section agricultural sprayers and more specifically to section control valve switching for such sprayers.
Most modern agricultural sprayers have a boom with multiple spray sections that can be independently controlled. A master control or switch is used to control the entire boom. In addition, each section has its own control or switch. In a typical system when the master control is on, the individual section control determines which sections are spraying. When the master control is off, all sections will not spray even though the individual section controls are on.
As sprayers get larger and the number of sections to be controlled increases, the switching arrangement tends to get more cumbersome and complex. Mastering the operation of systems with touch pad or keyboard type input controls often is difficult, particularly if non-sequential on-off spray section patterns are desired to accommodate irregular spray areas, field anomalies or skip row planting patterns.
Large sprayers can have seven or more individual spray sections to be controlled, and using a separate switch for each section requires a considerable amount of space which prevents ideally locating the switches in a convenient location. Providing a relatively simple, easy to understand and conveniently located spray control switching structure for multiple section sprayers has continued to be problematic.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved switching system for an agricultural sprayer. It is another object to overcome the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object to provide an improved switching system for a relatively large agricultural sprayer, wherein the system includes individual spray area control for a plurality of spray sections. It is another object to provide such a system which is relatively simple to understand and operate. It is still another object to provide such a system which permits substantial spray section control from one area, such as a multifunction control handle, using relatively few switches. It is another object to provide such a system which can be conveniently and intuitively operated from a vehicle control lever or the like utilizing only a small number of switches compared to the number of sections that are controlled.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved spray control switching system wherein different areas of the sprayer can be easily switched from one condition to another to accommodate irregular field borders or various types of field anomalies. It is another object to provide such a system wherein selected sections or areas of the spray structure can be easily locked out of operation or returned to operation from the locked out condition. It is yet another object to provide such a system wherein primary control of spray switching is located in one convenient location, such as the multifunction control handle.
A sprayer switching control system includes a controller connected to the sections of a sprayer to control spray rate and turn spray areas or sprayer nozzle sections on and off. The sprayer includes a multifunction control handle providing various control functions such as master spray on-off, spray boom position and ground drive speed. To control sprayer sections from the same area, toggle switch structure is incorporated into the handle and connected to the controller. The switch structure toggles the spray sections sequentially so that each section changes condition in turn as the switch structure is operated. A reset switch located adjacent the toggle switch structure is operable to reset all the sections to a preselected operating condition. Preferably, the toggle switch structure includes first and second switches located on opposite sides of the reset switch. Operating the first switch toggles the sections sequentially from a first side of the sprayer towards a second side, while operating the second switch sequences the operation in the opposite direction. For example, if the sprayer is operating near a converging field boundary, the switch corresponding to that side can be operated to turn off the outer section on that side to accommodate the narrowing spray area. If further narrowing is necessary, the switch is operated again to turn off the next section, and so on. If the spray areas widen again, the second switch is depressed to turn each section on in turn. If the spray pattern is to be narrowed from the opposite side, the second switch is operated to turn off the sections on that side. The first switch then can be operated to turn the sections on in turn as the spray area widens on that side. Such toggle operation is simple and easy to learn and can be accomplished without removing the hand from the control handle.
To accommodate situations where individual spray sections are to be locked out such as when the outer sections of the sprayer boom are folded in, individual boom control switches mounted on the console adjacent the control handle are connected to the controller so any one or more of the sections can be disabled. Maintaining the individual section switches also permits adjustment of the spray pattern for field anomalies or row patterns that require alternate sections or central portions of the sprayer to be switched off.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description which follows and from the drawings.